Switch



April 30, 1929. Mimm; 1,710,884

SWITCH I FiledFeb. 1, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Apr. 30, 1929. v

UNITED STATES MITCHELL MAGKIE, 91F WAUKESHA, WISCONSIN.

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Application filed February 1, 1924, Serial No. 690,064.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in switches and refers more particularly to a switch adapted for use in connection with devices of that nature 5 including an electrical circuit adapted to be closed for a predetermined period of time.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a switch adapted to be used in connection with an electrically controlled, internal combustion engine, priming device, or any other type of device necessitating the closing of an electrical circuit for a predetermined period havin means for automatically opening the circuit alter the predetermined period of time has elapsed,

Another object of this invention resides in a switch of the character described having means permitting the ready adjustment of the time element thereof. 4

This invention has for another of its objects to provide a switch of the character described having a coil shunted across the circuit thereof and exerting a magnetic pull on the movable contact to secure the same in means for opening the circuit a credetermined time to permit the opening movement of the switch.

A further object of this invention resides character described having a movable and substantially stationary contact, the stationarycontact normally tending to urge the movable contact to switch opening position.

provide a switch of the character described having broad contact making surfaces.

And a still further object oi this invention resides in the provision of a timing switch ofthe character described which is so constructed and designed as to insure the quick breaking of the circuits-to reduce arc ing at the contacts to a minimum, and which is fully protected and enclosed by a strong casing supported by a threaded. post to facilitate its ready application to the dash board of a vehicle or any other place With the above and other objects in view 7 which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the novel construction, -combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindi switch closing position, said coil providingin the provision of a switch structure of the I it is a further object ofthis invention to closed invention may be made as comewithin the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated two complete examples of the physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to the best modes I have so far devised for the practical application or" the principles thereoi, and in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a switch embodymg my invention, said view being taken on the plane of the line 1'1 of Figure 2 and parts thereofbeing broken away and in sec tion to illustrate structural details;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 of another side of the switch; Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1.01? slightly -modified switch construction;

Figure 4 is a view taken transversely tnrough Figure 3 on the plane of the line 4-4-, and 'gure 5 is a diagrammatic view illustratthe manner of wiring my improved switch. lcelerring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals designate like parts throughoutthe several views; the numeral 5 designates externally threaded, tubular post or bolt adapted to be secured, to a suitable support s, such as the dash board of an automotive vehicle by clamping nuts '7 and 8, having the inner end or cover 9 of a cylinder or cas ing 10 secured thereto.

'lhe outer end of the cylinder is closed by a plate or cover 11 on which is centrally mounted acoil 12 having acore 13 preferably in the'form of a cap screw threaded in the plate and having one end of a thermostatic member i l confined between its head and the adjacent spool end 15 of the coil. One end 16 of the coil 12 is electrically connected with a post- 1'? secured to plate ll by a screw or other means 18, the post being insulated from the plate by suitable washers 18. The other end 19 of the coil iselectrically connected with a substantially fixed contact 20, now about to be described.

Contact 20 is preferably formed from a strip of resilient metal having its lower end a directed laterally and secured to plate 11. by a screw 21 which extends through the plate and provides a contact terminal 22. The lower end of the contact 20 is insulated from plate 11- by a washer or disc 23 of insulating material and screw 21 is insulated from the plate by disc 23 and a second insulating disc 24, in the manner illustrated in Figure 1 in connection with contact blade 25, nowto be described. Contact blade 25 is preferably formed of resilient material and has its lower end directed laterally and secured to plate 11 by a screw 26 which extends through the plate and provides a contact terminal 27. Washers 23 and 24 provide the means for insulating contact 25 from the plate 11.

A center pin or actuating rod 28 is slidably mounted in the tubular post with its ends extended therebeyond and has a control button 29 on its outer end and a movable contact member 30 on its inner end disposed within cylinder 10. In Figures 1 and 2, contact member 30 is of a hexagon shape providing a plurality of opposed fiat contact surfaces and is secured to the inner end of the rod 28 by opposed binding nuts 31, the contact member being insulated from rod 28 by washers 32. In that form of my invention illustrated in Figure 1, contact 25 is directed inwardly at a point adjacent the head of the core 13, as at 33, and then upwardly and slightly outwardly, as at 34, to provide a spring extending beyond the end of the contact blade 20 and adapted to yieldably exert a pressure against contact 30 to hold the same out of engagement with contact 20.

The thermostatic member 14 is electrically connected with the plate 11 through the magnetic coil 'core 13, to electricall connect the end 16 of the'coil with the negative side of the battery or other source of electrical energy 36 which is grounded to the frame of the vehicle, as at 35.

tion between it and the contact 37. As will be readily obvious,-the time element of the switch may be readily adjusted by varying the pressure exerted on the free end 38 of the thermostatic member by the adjustable contact 37, when the coil is deenergized.-

In that form of my invention illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, contact member 30 'is of circular form to provide an unbroken contact surface and the contacts 20 and 25 havetheir outer end portions curved, as at 38, to conform with the circumference of the member 30 and the extreme outer ends 40 thereof are directed laterally to provide guides to insure the passage therebetween of the member 30, As best shownin Figure 3, the con tact members have their outer free ends direct- The free end 38 ofthe thermostatic .member 14 normally engages the adjustable ed inwardlyto produce a spring pressure on the member 30 and insure a positive electrical connection between the member 30 and the contacts 20 and 25. I

The member 30 is normally urged to an inoperativev position by an expansible spring 41 confined between the adjacent ends of the core my invention depicted in Figures 3 and 4 is deemed unnecessary.

The improved switch depicted in the drawings and described above may be used with various appliances and devices and in Figure 5 I have illustrated its application in connection with an initial starting device for an internal combustion engine of that type described in my copending application Serial No. 647,635. comprises a cylinder 43 having a heating element 44 mounted therein with one end grounded to the cylinder 43 and the other end of which is insulated from the casing and provided with a terminal 46. The inlet and 'outletpf the cylinder are normally closed when the engine is running and the device thus rendered inoperative, and the inlet and outlet are held open, when the switch device is actuated, by means of magnetic coils,

not shown, enclosed with casings 46 and 47, these coils having one end grounded to the instrument and their other ends connected with the terminal 46 by leads 48 and 49, respectlvely.

The circuit illustratedin Figure 5 being of the single wire type, the casing 43 is grounded, as at 50, and the plate 11 V 51, the negative side 35 of the battery or source of electrical energy 36' being grounded as previously described. 'The positive side of the battery 36is connected with the termi-'' nal 22 of the contact 20 by a conductor 52 and the contact 25 is connected with the terminal 46 of the instrument 43 by a conductor 53. With this wiring, the coil 12 and the instrument 43 arein parallel and their circuits are initially closed at the contacts 20 and 25.

To operate the device, button .29 is pushed inwardly against the spring action of the contact 25, when that form of my invention i'llus-- trated in Figure 1 is employed, or the action of spring 41 when the other form is employed, the contact member 30 bridging contacts 20 and'25. Upon the bridging of the contacts 20 and 25, coil 12 is energized the circuit being from the positive side of the battery through the conductor 52, contacts 20, 30 and 25, to the end 19 of the coil, through the coil by a securing screw 45 Y is grounded, as at.

00 This type of device .broadly to the post 17, through the end 16, adjustable contact 37, thermostatic member 14, core 13 to the plate 11 and thence to. the negative side 35 of the battery through the ground by reason of its connection 51. The core 13 thus becomes a magnet and holds the inner end- 53, terminal 46, through the heating element 25 and brea 44 to the negative side of the battery, through the conductor 50, thence to the coils through the conductors 48 and 49, the other sides oil which are connected with the negative side of the battery by the conductor 50.

As previously described, the heat generated by the coil 12 causes the free end 38 of the thermostaticmember to move inwardly from the contact 37 and when the member 14 and contact 37 separate, the continuity or the circuit in which the coil 12 is included is broken, the spring of the contact 25, in the structure illustrated in Figure 1, or the spring 41, in the structure illustrated in Figure 3, exerting itself, as the core 13 is de-magnetized upon deenergization of the coil, moving the contact 30 out of en agement with the contacts 20. and ing the continuity of the circuit in which the instrument is included What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a device of the character described, a yieldable stationary contact having its outer end portion flared, a magnet coil located adj acent the contact and having a core positioned near the contact flared end, an armature movable into and out of engagement with the. core,

' tact holding the yieldable stationary and a movable contact carried by the armature and adapted to be electrically engaged with the yieldable contact, the movable concontact under tension when the armature is in engagement with the core, the coil being energized upon electrical connection of said contacts to magnetize the core and hold the armature against the tension ot the yieldable concontact overlying the core tact.

2. In a device of the character described, a yieldable contact having its outer end portion flared, a magnet coil located adj acent the contact and having a core positioned near the contact flared end, an armature movable into and out of engagement with the core, and a contact movable with the armature to electrical engagement with the yieldable contact, the base of the flared end of the yieldable whereby the movable contact, when energized therewith, holds the same under a tension normally tending to separate the contacts, the coil being energized upon electrical connection ofsaid contacts to magnetiz'e the core and hold the armature against the tension of the yieldable contact.

8. A device of the character described, comprising a stationar contact, a movable mounted rod, a mova le contact fixed to said rod and adapted to be moved to and from electrical engagement with said stationary contact, a magnetic coil disposed adjacent said stationary contact, and a core member passed through said coil and having one end adapted to be engaged by one end of said rod when the movable contact is engaged with the stationary contact, said magnetic coil being energized upon engagement of the movable contact with the stationary contact and magnetizing the core to attract said rod thereto and secure the movable contact in engagement with the stationary contact.

l. A device of the character described, com prising a yieldable stationary contact, a movably mounted rod, a movable contact fixed to said yieldable rod and adapted to be moved to and from the electrical engagement with said stationary contact, said stationary contact being undera tension durin the period the movable contact is in electrical engage ment therewith, a magnetic coil disposed adacent said stationary contact, and a core member passed through said 0011 and having one end adapted to be engaged by one end of said rod when the movable contact is engaged w th the stationary contact, said magnetic 0011 being energized upon engagement of the movable contact with the yieldable stationary contact and magnetizing the core to attract said rod and secure the movable contact in engagement with the yieldable stationary contact, the yieldable stationary contact normally urging said movable contact to a position out of engagement therewith.

A device of the character described comprising a pair of spaced stationary contacts having their inner ends free, a magnetic coil mounted=between said contacts, a core ex.- tended beyond the end thereof adjacent the tree ends of said contacts, a reciprocally mounted rod disposed in substantially axial alignment with said core, means normally urging said rod to a position with its inner end spaced from the core, said rod being movable against said urging means to engage its inner end with said core, and a contact member carried by said rod inner end and movable by actuation of said rod to bridge the stationary contacts.

. t5. A device of the character described, compris ng a pair of spaced stationary contacts having their inner ends free, a magnetic coil mounted between said contacts, a core extended beyond the end thereof adjacent the free ends of said contacts, a reciprocally mounted rod disposed in substantially axial alignment with said core, means normally urging said rod to a position with its inner end spaced from the core, said rod being movable against said urging means to engage its inner end with said core, a contact posite sides of said coil influenced by the coil and operable within a.

predetermined time to de-magnetize the core and permit movement of said rod by said urglng means to disengage the movable and statlonary contacts. I

7. A device of the character described, comprising a casing, plates closingthe ends of said casing, a magnetic coil secured to one of said plates, a core forsaid COIl having its inner end extended beyond the inner end of said coil, a pair of stationary contact mem-- bers carried by one plate and disposed on opwith their inner ends free and terminating adjacent said core inner end, a reciprocally mounted rod having its inner end extended into saidcasing through the plate opposite the onemount'ing the magnetic coil, the inner end of said rod beingengageable with the inner end of said core upon movement of the rod into the casing, able contact fixed to the inner end/portion of said rod and adapted to bridgesaid stationary contacts upon engagement of the inner end of said rod with the core, and means normally urging said rod outwardly of the casing to maintain said movable contact out of engagement with said stationar contacts said magnetic coil being energize gagement of the movable and stationary contacts to magnetize the with the stationary contacts against said urging means. I

upon en core thereof and attract the inner end of said rod and retain the .movable contact in electrical engagement In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

MITCHELL MACKIE. 

